US life science firm set for £12.5m investment in Scottish facility

NICOLA STURGEON has welcomed plans to expand the European base of a US life science firm in Scotland.

NICOLA STURGEON has welcomed plans to expand the European base of a US life science firm in Scotland.

The Deputy First Minister said Life Technology's £12.5 million investment in its Inchinnan facility was a "welcome boost" for Scotland's economy.

The firm said the expansion would help to increase its research the development and production of biological drugs.

It is hoped that 30 jobs will be created at the site near Glasgow, where 500 people are already employed.

Ms Sturgeon said: "This investment is a welcome boost for Scotland's economy and I'm delighted that Life Technologies have decided to expand their facility at Inchinnan.

"Scotland's life sciences research is rightly regarded as among the very best in the world and developments like this help to continue to build on that enviable reputation for the future."

Life Technologies is based in California and employs more than 10,000 people and has customers in 160 countries.

Company chairman Gregory Lucier said: "Our investment in this facility now provides a secure, complementary supply chain source for media used in life saving therapeutics while also addressing the growing global demand for our cell culture media products.

"We have a skilled workforce in Scotland whose commitment gives us a competitive advantage and allows us to serve our customers with high quality products."

The expansion is linked to support from Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Development International, which were set up to encourage economic development, enterprise, innovation and investment in business.

Anne MacColl, chief executive of Scottish Development International, said: "Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Development International have worked closely with Life Technologies to provide an integrated package of support towards this expansion of its manufacturing facilities at Inchinnan.

"The fact that Life Technologies views Scotland as the ideal place to grow its business is testament to Scotland's growing reputation as a key player on an international level.

"We very much welcome this announcement and look forward to continuing to work with the company and in doing so, we can help generate long-term sustainable growth for the Scottish economy."

Life Technologies expects to start work at the Inchinnan site next year, and start to ship product from the facility in 2014.